Harley Burial – Ohio Man Buried On His Bike

The old saying “you can’t take it with you when you die” is true in most cases, but not for an Ohio man who is being buried on his Harley Davidson Motorcycle. Billy Standley’s dying wish was the be buried with his beloved 1967 Electra Glide cruiser, and that’s just what his family did.

“He was a quirky man,” daughter Dorothy Brown said. “But when it comes to us kids, he loved us, he raised us well and, of course, we wanted to help him.”

Standley’s two sons built him a large casket that could hold both he and his motorcycle. His family claims that Standley was so proud of the casket that he would often invite people into his garage to see it. The family had to buy a large plot that would be big enough to bury the giant casket and it took five embalmers to prepare his body. Preparations included making a metal back brace and straps that would hold Standley on the seat of the Harley.

Standley’s body was dressed for the part too and he was buried in a black leather motorcycle jacket and leather pants. A helmet was also placed on Standley’s head and although his eyes were closed, it looked as if he was ready to ride right out of the casket and hit the open road for one last ride on his favorite bike.

Vernon Funeral Homes handled the funeral ceremony and his family requested that it be held outside so all of his motorcycle buddies could attend on their bikes, just how Standley would have wanted.

“We’ve done personalization … but nothing this extreme,” Tammy Vernon said. “He was the one who kept throwing this idea out there, to be buried on his bike. We were glad to assist him.”

What do you think of Billy Standley’s decision to be buried astride his Harley?